Fico is helmed by chef Mirko Febbrile who hails from Puglia, Italy. He arrived in Singapore nine years ago to work at Il Lido Restaurants & Bars. He helped earn a Michelin star for Italian restaurant Braci in 2017 where he was chef de cuisine. Fico is the first of the two restaurants that Mirko created with the Lo & Behold Group, the other is Somma located at New Bahru.
We have been wanting to try the food at Fico but reservations were hard to come by. We managed to secure a spot on a weekday evening for the earliest dinner slot at 5.30pm. Diners started to trickle in and by 6pm the restaurant was almost full. Fico had indoor and outdoor seating and it would certainly be nice to dine outdoors if the weather permits. The location is near the tail-end of East Coast Park nearer to Changi Airport and you could get a good view of planes flying into Changi.
First up was the Focaccina with San Marzano Tomatoes. It was described as the love child between the focaccia and pizza that uses 80% semola dough for the perfect lightness and crust. Chunks of bufala mozzarella, basil leaves and san marzano tomatoes were tossed on the focaccina with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The bread was as described, airy and crusty and it was simply a classic Italian dish with fresh flavours, much like a Margherita pizza if you will.
The second dish was the Fried Shrimp that comprised of shrimp and lovage (perennial herb with celery-like flavour) fritters accompanied with salsa verde. Perfectly fried and great with an ice cold Cass beer.
The first main to arrive was the Mafaldine, made with osso buco, almonds and primitivo di Puglia. Mafaldine is a traditional Italian pasta with a ribbon shape and wavy edges. Osso buco is a classic Italian dish of braised beef or veal shank that’s known for its rich flavours and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Primitivo di Puglia is an Italian wine from the region of Puglia. The choice of pasta used in this dish was perfect as every single piece was nicely coated with sauce and the parmesan cheese helped to thicken the sauce.
Our second choice of mains was the Charcoal-Grilled Octopus. The cook on this resulted in a smoky aroma with each bite of tender octopus. The dish was not overcomplicated, use a quality ingredient and let its natural flavours shine.
Out came the dessert trolley after our mains and we picked the Cannoli. The shell was fried to a crisp and filled to the brim with ricotta and smudged with pistachios at both ends. The different textures blend in your mouth with a single dessert, crispy shell, creamy ricotta, and the crunchy nutty pistachios.
A good meal at a fantastic seaside spot, what a great night out sans kids.
Rating: 3.75 / 5
Fico
1300 East Coast Parkway, East Coast Park Area F
468964 Singapore 409051
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WqnnaCiMD7zpuCbs5
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